Latch 2.0 - Forged in Flame

By Evan

Task: Design a new latch for hanging

Our latching system is too complicated to use quickly; it requires too much reliance on driver control and becomes jammed. So, we forged an iron hook to replace it. We started by taking an 8mm iron rod and placing it into the forge that we have, heating it up and bending it into shape over the course of an hour. We made a wire model for the hook, and then slowly and patiently formed the hook out of the rod. Then, to make an easy-to-drill connection point, we heated a section up until it was white hot and then used a punch to create a flat part that we then drilled into afterward.

To create a mount, we took a length of steel and used an oxy-acetylene torch to heat up the areas we wanted to bend. Once this was done, we went about attaching the hook to the mount. We did this by finding the center of the mount, drilling it out, and pushing a bolt through it, surrounding all sides with washers. We then mounted a servo next to the hook and attached it with a piece of wire, which was secured to the hook by two notches cut out of either side of the tail of the hook. Later, after finding the wire to be too flimsy, we attached the two together with a strip of polycarb. It works well, allowing us to mount and dismount much easier than we would have hoped for with our last latch. While the last latch was purely passive and required no electrical components, this one gives us much more control in how we latch and delatch.